Stuffed: A Tibbs Thanksgiving Tale
by HidingLight
Summary: Sometimes people walk out of our lives, leaving a gaping hole, but if we're really lucky, something else comes along to fill it in ways we didn't realize could ever happen. A fluffy, slashy, Thanksgiving one-shot.


_Much love and gratitude for you, my lovelies! You make this life so much more enjoyable! :) Hope you like this fluffy little one-shot!_

Stuffed: A Tibbs Thanksgiving Tale

It had all started after Ziva left. Tony started a nightly ritual of sitting on Gibbs' basement steps with a jar of bourbon, and it had turned into sitting on the couch with steaks and beers. Steaks and beers on the couch turned into finding an entirely different way of coping on the couch, and coping on the couch turned into groping on the couch. Groping on the couch turned into much more on the couch, and for the past two weeks, Tony had been coming over for "consoling" nightly.

The Tuesday night before Thanksgiving, Tony started second-guessing what they were doing. What was it that kept him coming back? The past couple of nights hadn't even included dinner. It was assumed enough by both men that Tony would come over that Gibbs had been waiting in the bedroom, shouting, "Lock the door behind you," as Tony came in.

Tuesday had brought a case that had depressed the hell out of all of them, and Tony had come home with no intentions on leaving again. He was trying to get his head together, and it wasn't happening. They'd been too late this time. The pieces hadn't fallen together the way they usually did, and Tony started wondering if maybe they'd been distracted.

Looking back over the case, he couldn't find any issues that could have even remotely been caused by his and Gibbs' focuses being… _elsewhere_. At work, it was like there was nothing happening between them in their personal lives. They treated each other exactly the same, and they didn't discuss what was changing between them.

As Tony considered that on the way home Tuesday night, he realized that made him feel more than uncomfortable, and by time he was showered and had changed into pajamas, he had admitted to himself that he was feeling angry and hurt that Gibbs hadn't started treating him at least a _little_ differently. Two beers later, and he realized that he was emotionally attached to the older man in a whole new way, and he felt like an idiot for letting it happen. He had assumed when they started sleeping together that it was just sex; a happy friends with benefits arrangement. Now…

Well, now he was in for it. He wasn't sure he could just keep sleeping with him, but then again, if he stopped, what would that say to Gibbs? It wasn't that he _wanted_ to stop sleeping with him, but the feelings he had developed were running too deep, and he had the feeling that it wasn't what Gibbs had signed up for when all this had started. If he put a stop to it, he would have to admit what he was feeling, and he would lose the best friend he'd ever had, and the single most important person in his life.

He was screwed.

When he was about to give up on nursing his misery for the night and go to bed, he heard a knock on his door. It was tentative, and he wondered if one of his neighbors needed something. He was surprised to see Gibbs standing on the other side of the peephole, looking as dejected as he felt. He opened the door with a slightly confused smile, and Gibbs didn't say anything.

Tony moved aside to let him in, and as soon as the door closed, Gibbs grabbed Tony by the waist and pulled him in for a kiss that said everything Tony needed to hear. It was powered by emotion, not sexual tension, and it lasted for a few long minutes that made Tony's head spin when they finally broke it.

"Thought so," Gibbs said quietly.

"Thought what?" Tony asked, his voice breaking.

"You didn't come over tonight. I didn't just want you there- _needed_ you there. Spent all night trying to figure out if this was just physical to you, if I'd misread it all, but there's no way a kiss could feel that good if it was just about sex."

Tony smiled brightly at him. They had both gone through their own confused struggles tonight. "No, it's not just the sex. Realized tonight that I want more, and wasn't sure what you wanted. Thought I'd better spend the night alone to sleep on it."

Gibbs shook his head. "Not spending the night without you, Tony."

Tony smiled and pulled Gibbs into his room by the hand. "Then you can spend it with me right here. But I'm exhausted, so tonight, we're just going to sleep."

"Sleep sounds great," Gibbs said, the relief obvious in his voice.

"After the day we've had, it sure as hell does," Tony said, pulling back the comforter and reaching for the light as Gibbs stripped out of his jeans.

"New bed?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah," Tony said as he rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, glad that the light was turned off. He'd upsized to a queen the weekend after he and Gibbs had gotten past the groping stage, and had been plotting to find a reason to make his lover come over to break it in with him. He hadn't been expecting tonight's circumstances though, and he was glad when Gibbs didn't push for an explanation.

They both slid under the blankets, and Tony turned to set the alarm next to him. "What time do you need to get up tomorrow?" he asked.

"0530 should be fine," Gibbs replied, and Tony set it accordingly.

"That gives us about six and a half hours," he said as he turned towards Gibbs in the dark.

He was suddenly very unsure of what to do with himself. They hadn't ever intentionally gone to bed together. Tony had spent the night a few times simply because he had passed out after the mind-blowing orgasms. Mornings after had worked out pretty well because Gibbs was such an early riser, and it gave Tony plenty of time to go home and get ready for work. This would be the first time they would be in bed to just sleep, and he wasn't sure where to put his hands.

Gibbs smiled at him with a softness that Tony wasn't used to, and then reached his hand out to slip it around Tony's waist, moving a little closer. Tony mimicked the action until they were up against one another.

"This okay?" Gibbs asked quietly.

Tony smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah, this is definitely okay."

Gibbs sighed and bent his head forward until it rested against Tony's. He wasn't sure how this had happened, but somewhere over the past two months, his SFA had become so much more. He saw him in a new light, and when he had realized that evening that he was looking forward to some time hanging out with him and a beer on the couch as much as their other extra-curricular activities, he'd panicked. Working in the basement didn't help to curb that craving, and instead of carving, he'd ended up sitting lost in serious thought about what he really wanted. His decision surprised him.

He'd only been with two men his entire life- one right before Shannon, and one right after- and he had never imagined that he would go there again, none the less want a future with one. He did with Tony though. He'd considered his options, and the only one he could settle with at all had him shocked, confused, terrified, and enthralled.

He wanted a real relationship with Tony, working towards having a life together. He wanted them to be around each other more, just enjoying each other's company, laughing together, talking now and then when things got rough. He wanted to have someone to come home to who understood him, and Tony understood him better than anyone in his life. From what tripped him off, to what calmed him down, what he was thinking at pretty much any given moment, and why he acted the way he did- Tony knew it all.

He leaned even closer and kissed Tony gently. It reminded him of their first kiss on the couch, and he felt just as tentative about it. There was more to it now, and he knew that Tony would feel it. He was genuinely happy to feel it returned.

Tony wasn't sure why the kiss felt so different. They had definitely gotten used to kissing one another over the past two months. This one felt more real than any they had shared so far, and Tony realized that it was because it _meant more_ than any of the kisses they had shared so far. This kiss had heart, it had deep emotions that were being expressed, and it felt incredible.

Tony found himself clinging to Gibbs' body, trying to get as close to him as possible as the kiss deepened. He felt a hollow place inside of him filling slowly, and he ached sweetly.

The kiss ended, both men breathing heavily.

"Oh, yeah. We can definitely do this," Gibbs said through his panting. Tony could only nod. Both men shamelessly held on to one another tightly, and soon, they both fell asleep.

The next night was spent prepping for the team's Thanksgiving feast at Gibbs'. Tony felt oddly comfortable walking through the grocery store with Gibbs as they tried to figure out what they still needed for their contributions to the meal. Neither of them had made the time to go when they should have earlier because of their evening trysts, and now they were paying the price by fighting off the crowds. They made the best of it though, and Tony was surprised to find them actually managing to enjoy each other's company despite the harrowing experience.

After loading the groceries into the fridge, Gibbs pulled out two beers and handed one to Tony, looking him over from head to toe, thinking about all of the things he wanted to do to him. He watched Tony's eyes twinkle and enjoyed the smile that wrapped around the mouth of the beer as he saw the way he was being checked out.

Things were definitely different now. Tony's expression held just a touch of shyness that Gibbs didn't think he had ever seen, and Tony was surprised to find Gibbs taking the time to appreciate the view instead of just taking what he wanted. Not that Tony minded when he was ravaged, just the opposite actually, but this was nice, too, and it meant something to him, though he couldn't figure out what.

Gibbs had admitted to himself long ago that Tony's cockiness was a turn on for him, but he'd left it at that. The connection they had been making over the past two months was different, and he found that almost shy smile to be the sexiest thing he'd ever seen on a man, and the most endearing. Tony had been filling him with light and joy all day long in the most random ways, and he was surprised to find that when he allowed it in, it felt good, right, and natural. What surprised him most was that he wanted it, as much of it as he could get, and he was going to try to stay open to that because it felt too damned good.

Both men wondered if they should try to communicate with the other what they were feeling, but Tony didn't do the feeling thing so well, and Gibbs didn't do the talking thing so well, so they were standing awkwardly in the kitchen for a few minutes until Tony started laughing. Gibbs joined in, glad for the break in the tension, and he came to stand next to Tony, leaning against the counter with his arm against Tony's.

"We might wanna talk about this. The whole team is gonna be here tomorrow, and we don't really know what we're doing," Gibbs said quietly.

Tony's eyes shot up to Gibbs'. "You mean you want to let them know there's something going on here?"

Gibbs' eyes got wide and he shook his head 'no' quickly. "Hell, no! Not yet!" Tony chuckled in relief, the surprise and fear running out of his body immediately with a sigh.

"Whew, okay. I'm enjoying this. Not ready for that pressure."

Gibbs smiled at that. "Me, too. Just kinda wanna take this one day at a time for now, see where it's going, how we do with it…"

"We're really going to try to have a relationship," Tony part said, part asked, the amazement obvious in his voice.

"Sure looks that way," Gibbs said, taking a swig from his beer. "Makes sense though."

Tony's smile brightened. "Yeah, I think it does."

Gibbs watched that endearingly shy look come over Tony again as he looked down into his beer. He watched his lips with rapt fascination, and he decided he was tired of talking. He sat his beer down on the counter, then turned so he was standing in front of Tony, who looked up at him, green eyes imploring him to make him feel everything he was scared to feel. Gibbs saw that look, and he swallowed hard.

He knew that Tony was afraid to be loved, afraid to love, afraid to let someone in deep enough to see under all of superficial layers he let the rest of the world see. But he had already seen beneath them, and he was taken by the man under it all, and unlike the woman who had brought them to this place, he was willing to fight for Tony, willing to fight his way through the minefield of insecurities to find his place in Tony's heart and his life.

He took Tony's beer from him and sat it on the counter, watching Tony's reaction and the way the man's eyes followed his hand with the bottle before looking up at him again.

Tony felt Gibbs' hands come around his waist, and then closed his eyes as Gibbs' lips fell against his. There was a perfect amount of pressure that made him eager to open up and invite Gibbs' tongue to play, and then he slipped his hands up Gibbs' chest and around his shoulders. Just like that first evening on the couch, he let Gibbs' lead, and enjoyed the safety and guidance offered in that.

There was something there this time that hadn't been there that first night, and it threatened to break down walls within him he was scared to let down. He could feel them shaking like an earthquake though, and he knew it wouldn't be long until Gibbs had made it past all of his perimeters. He made a decision with the next swipe of Gibbs' tongue, as the older man pulled him closer in a tender embrace while he kissed him senseless, that he was going to do it- he was going to take down those walls and let Gibbs in.

It was a great kiss.

Gibbs felt a change in the kiss as Tony went from just relaxing into it, to clinging to him for dear life. The tender, sensual swapping became a passionate and deep exchange. Their breaths picked up, and Tony's hands balled themselves into Jethro's sweatshirt as he held on tightly. That's when Gibbs starting feeling the slight tremble in Tony's body, and began to pull away to check on him. Tony pulled him back immediately though, arms tightening around Gibbs' shoulders and neck. Gibbs wondered if he had ever felt so wanted as in that moment. He could feel Tony's desperation to simply be near him, and it was moving. He knew something was going on in the mind of the man in his arms, and he knew it was intense.

"You okay, Tony?" he whispered. Tony nodded fervently.

"Yeah, I'm wonderful," he said quietly, still not letting go of his hold on Gibbs.

"Wonderful?"

"Yeah. I'm wonderful, you're wonderful, this is all pretty damned wonderful."

"Yeah, it really is, isn't it?"

Tony nodded.

"I want this, Tony. I want you, as much of you as you'll give me, and I promise that whatever you let me have, I'll protect and cherish."

Tony nodded fervently as he swallowed hard as he pulled back to look into Gibbs' baby blues. "All of me, Jethro. All of me."

Gibbs saw the way Tony's eyes shone, and he believed him. His forehead fell against Tony's, and they simply breathed each other in in silence.

-XX-X-X-XX-

The next morning, they woke up together in Gibbs' bed, tangled thoroughly. The alarm on Tony's phone was set to the quietest, least obnoxious ringtone he had, and they snuggled dozily while it snoozed. Gibbs' sleep-glazed blue eyes made Tony's heart beat faster. He loved the slightly vulnerable look they gave him, and he felt special to be in that position.

"This is pretty nice, Jethro," Tony said softly. "I could do this every day."

"Me, too," Gibbs agreed quietly.

"Let me restate that. I _want_ to do this every day."

"Me, too. We'll have to work on that."

Tony smiled and snuggled back into Gibbs' shoulder, breathing the man in. It felt good. It felt like home, and it filled a little more of that emptiness in him.

When the next alarm went off, they succumbed to morning and got out of bed. Tony showered and dressed, and then kissed Gibbs goodbye. He was going to go home for a while and then come back to keep up appearances.

Gibbs was left standing alone in the living room, and he watched Tony's car drive off out the window. He looked around him at the suddenly empty house, and tried to tell himself that his team would be there soon enough. The void Tony left could be felt though, and he sighed to himself as he got to work.

He tried to distract himself with building a fire in the fireplace, and then went out to bring in enough wood to keep it going all day. He knew that Tony liked the fire as much as he did, and he wanted to make sure it kept crackling. He then started getting things together in the kitchen, turning the oven on to preheat, and filling the kettle full of water for Ducky's tea. Next, he tackled the turkey, removing the packets of giblets and chuckling to himself quietly as he thought of how Abby called the team the Gibblets.

He gathered the ingredients for his mom's stuffing recipe, and fingered the paper carefully as he looked over her scribbled handwriting. His dad had given it to him a couple of years ago, and he had known immediate that it was her script, not his. He'd made it for the team last year, and was surprised to find it had turned out tasting just like she had cooked it herself. He smiled as he cooked up the vegetables and added the bread cubes.

He'd just put the turkey in the oven and checked the time when his phone beeped. He looked down to find a text from Tony asking if anyone had shown up yet. He shook his head and smiled, then dialed Tony's number.

"Are they there yet?" he answered without even a hello.

Gibbs rolled his eyes, but he was smiling from ear to ear.

"No, not yet. Turkey just went in. Got the fire going. About to put the leaf in the table."

"Damn it. At least you have something to keep busy with. I've done my laundry, and now I'm just twiddling my thumbs over here. Wish it wasn't so cold and rainy; could really use a run."

"Could always hit the indoor track at the Yard," Gibbs suggested as he put a fresh pot of coffee on.

"Jethro! It's Thanksgiving. I'm not going into the office for a damned thing today. I'm supposed to be celebrating what I'm thankful for, and what I'm thankful for is that I don't have to work today while still being with my family. I'd rather clean the apartment."

"I was just there- it's clean."

"I know."

"Ahh."

"Okay, I'll let you go." Tony felt an overwhelming sense of tension coming over him. _Am I being too clingy? Why am I feeling so damned clingy?_

"Okay. I'll let you know when someone finally shows up so you can come home." Gibbs froze, realizing what has just come out of his mouth. The coffee pot was in one hand, poised to pour into a mug on the counter.

Tony was in shock on the other end of the line, his mouth hanging open. He could hear Gibbs swallow hard on the other end of the line, and he knew he needed to say something.

"I hope it's soon," he finally managed quietly, unable to keep the dazed tone from his voice.

Gibbs shook the shock off, and took a deep breath, shaking his head in frustration.

"To hell with it, Tony. Just get your ass back here."

Tony pulled the phone from his ear for a moment to look at it, then put it back. "Are you sure?"

"I want you here, you want to be here, so you should be here. Just come back."

Tony smiled as he felt the hollow space inside of him fill even more. "Be there in twenty."

"Bring that big white casserole dish, will ya?"

"The one with the ridges we used for the potatoes last year?"

"Yup."

"Will do."

They disconnected the call, and Tony jumped up off the couch to get the dish. He was already dressed and ready to go, anxious to leave. He got the dish out of a cabinet and washed the dust out of it. It hadn't been used in months, and he hummed pleasantly to himself as he rushed through drying it with a towel. Making his way towards the front door, turning off the lights, he picked up his duffel he had packed, and paused as he remembered to turn around and feed Kate.

"I'll be back tomorrow," he told her, and then headed out the door.

_Home,_ he thought to himself. _He really just called his house home. _He got into his car and put the key in the ignition, then stopped. Thoughts started stringing together in his head, and confusion settled over him. Was he ready for this? It had happened so quickly. Three months ago, he was unable to sleep for nights as he thought about leaving Ziva behind in Israel, and now he was considering Gibbs' house home, and was starting a new relationship with him.

It had all started changing the day Gibbs had said those magic words to him in the bathroom. _I'd trust you any day._ He'd needed to hear that, needed to know that for years. Too many years. He'd done everything he could to earn that trust, knowing that he had never trusted anyone like he trusted Gibbs. He'd always trusted Gibbs with his life, knowing that the man would do anything in his power to make sure he was safe, but those few words had changed things for him. He had trusted Gibbs to keep his head on straight in that case, and as always, he'd known when to push and just how hard, letting him deal with the issues he needed to resolve.

Admitting that his distraction was due to the pain of Ziva's leaving had been relieving, though he wasn't sure if his willingness to do so was because of his sleep deprivation or the look on Gibbs' face as he leaned against the wall. It wasn't as if everyone didn't already know, but it was nice to just admit, and to have Gibbs tell him that he trusted him meant more to him than he had expected it to- it meant everything.

The day after the case, when he went home to his apartment, he stared at his laptop. He didn't want to open it and obsessively check for messages like had had been for weeks. Ziva wanted to let go, and he knew he needed to let her. That meant he needed to, too, and it hurt.

He shook his head, got a shower, changed into some jeans and a t-shirt, then found himself on Gibbs' steps with a jar of brown liquor as he thought. It felt safe, as it always did, to think there. There was something about that space that made him feel secure, and he had nursed a jar there every night for the next two weeks.

Each night, Gibbs would let him think in silence as he worked, not pushing, not asking questions. As the third week came around, and the routine continued, Gibbs took his jar to the foot of the steps, slid down the wall and waited.

Tony stared back into the blue eyes watching him, and as he gathered his thoughts, he realized that he not only trusted Gibbs with his life now, but he trusted him with his heart as well. The words began tumbling out, slowly but surely.

"_She wants to leave it all behind. I get that. I know it's what she needs, and I know that she can't do that here. She can't do that with me. _I don't_ want to leave it all behind, which is why I'm here. It never even crossed my mind to ask if I could stay there with her. This is where I need to be for me, that's where she needs to be for her, and life is going to have to move on. _

"_I fought harder for her than I've ever fought for a relationship, but I still couldn't give it all up, especially if she wasn't willing to fight for me. You can't force that, and you can't fake that. That's probably the most honest love I've ever known. She didn't try to make it work when she didn't want it to, when she knew it couldn't. She didn't play along, lead me on, she didn't pull the Wendy card. We really do want each other's happiness, and together, we decided it couldn't be with each other. She stayed, I came home. We made those decisions. It's taken me a while to realize that, to understand that, and I'm okay with it. Really, I am. _

"_I just can't help but wonder if anyone is ever going to be willing to fight for me that hard- harder I guess. Am I ever going to be that important to someone? Is anyone ever going to ask me to stay?"_

Tony watched the expression on Gibbs' face, and he saw the sadness in his eyes. It wasn't pity, and he appreciated that, but the pain he saw there matched his own.

"_I'm glad you came home, Tony."_

Tony sat in his car, his hands on the steering wheel as he replayed that night over and over in his head. Home. Gibbs had been glad he'd come back to him. He thought back to their MTAC meetings and Gibbs' frustration and anger that Tony hadn't been back yet. He thought about his accusation that Gibbs had given up on Ziva. He saw it all differently now.

They didn't know then what kinds of changes were starting, not consciously. He bet that if he asked his lover, he'd answer that that night on the stairs was the night he'd felt the shift between them. The next night, Gibbs had steaks cooking when Tony came over, and instead of sitting on the basement steps, they sat on the couch with a game on. The next night was the same.

The next day, Gibbs was returning a call to Vera while he thought he was alone in the bullpen, and Tony heard Gibbs tell her that he already had tentative plans that night. Tony had backed out of the bullpen for a minute, then came through, pretending not to have heard the conversation.

He was suddenly restless at his desk without a case, and he decided to spend some time in the gym. By time he got back up to the bullpen, everyone had gone home. He wasn't looking forward to spending the night alone. Gibbs' company had been a distraction for him for weeks now, but he knew his boss had a life of his own, and he had a feeling he'd been impeding on that.

He turned on his computer, trying to prolong his departure, and was surprised to find an email from Gibbs telling him it was his turn to pick up the beer since he was out. He chuckled and shook his head, realizing Gibbs had just been blowing Vera off. He was oddly relieved, and he smiled brightly to himself as he turned his computer back off and headed for the elevator.

That night was chicken instead of steaks, and there was no game on. The silence between them was begging to be filled, and Tony couldn't help but ask.

"_So what's up with you and Vera?" _

Gibbs choked on his beer. Tony watched his expression, but couldn't quite make out what was behind it over the coughing.

"_She's not exactly your usual type," _Tony continued,_ "but she's gotta be better than putting up with your lonely senior field agent."_

Gibbs shook his head and sat his beer down, then turned sideways on the couch to look at Tony. The look he gave Tony made him wonder if he'd overstepped a boundary.

"_Vera definitely isn't my type, but I'm not "putting up" with you, Tony. You're welcome here whenever you wanna be here."_

Tony shrugged. _"Don't know, Boss. Been here a lot lately. Should probably let you have your life back."_

"_I don't know. Kinda feels like there's a bit more to life lately."_

Tony watched Gibbs look down at his hands, then look up to see Tony's reaction. Tony saw a strangely nervous look on Gibbs' face, and for some reason, he felt his stomach flip.

"_Guess you're not the only one that's been feeling lonely these days, and the past few weeks…"_

Tony felt his mouth go dry and his heart started pounding so hard that he was worried it was going to jump out of his throat.

"_Well, they haven't felt so lonely. It's been kinda… nice."_

Tony swallowed hard. For some reason, he suddenly wanted to be closer to his boss, his friend, in ways that he had never wanted before. He knew it was crazy, but for some reason, he wanted Gibbs to reach forward and…

And then he did.

Calloused fingers rubbed the back of his neck, and Tony instinctively leaned forward. Gibbs did too, and with one final look into each other's eyes, Gibbs bridged the gap and their lips connected. It was soft, and cautious, and Tony hadn't felt so much care in a kiss before ever. They barely pulled apart, just enough to look into one another's eyes again, and then Tony was leaning forward and kissing Gibbs, and the kiss grew deeper. They'd made out on the couch for over an hour like teenagers, just enjoying being together.

That was all they needed. They needed to connect with someone, and they trusted each other enough to do so. Tony had finally whispered that he should probably head home, and they smiled at each other, kissed again, and Tony headed for the door, looking back at Gibbs one more time before leaving. He saw the happy smile on his face as he watched him leave, and he smiled back, and didn't stop smiling all the way home.

They'd had a case the next night, and both had gone home to their own separate place to sleep. Tony felt something missing, but shrugged it off. The next night, after the case wrapped up nicely with ribbon and bow, they found themselves alone in the elevator together as they left.

"_Gonna be by tonight?" _Gibbs had asked.

"_Probably," _Tony answered with a shrug and smirk. Gibbs just nodded with a smile, and then they went their own ways. They had ended back up on the couch two hours later, discussing their grueling case with a beer in their hands, empty Chinese cartons on the table in front of them.

Gibbs watched as Tony peeled his label off of his bottle while they talked, and as soon as he put the bottle and the pieces of label down on the coffee table, Gibbs pushed him back on the couch, kissing him senseless. Their lips were bruised and swollen by time they gave up and fell asleep like that. The next morning, they'd gotten up like it was nothing, and when Tony said goodbye, Gibbs kissed him so hard it took his breath away. He just smiled at Tony as he pulled back, and then headed up the stairs.

That night, making out turned into roaming hands that learned each other's body. This part wasn't new to Tony. He'd shared a couple of hand jobs and even blowjobs with guys in college, but they were nothing like they were with Gibbs. Over the next ten days, they spent every night together, learning each other inside and out, and when they took that final step, it felt as natural as breathing. They'd passed out together afterwards, and in the morning Tony had headed home to get ready for work like he had been.

They had spent every night together since. Even without ever talking about what they were doing, Tony felt more wanted, more cared for, than he ever had.

He shook his head. _No,_ he thought. _This isn't going too fast, and this isn't going to get fucked up, and I'm going home to Jethro, and we're going to have an awesome Thanksgiving together with our team, and then I'm going to show him exactly what he means to me._

He turned the key in the ignition, and he pulled out of the parking lot. He was going home.

-XX-X-X-XX-

Jethro stood in the kitchen with the mug of coffee in his hands, and he stared off into space as he thought. He'd just told Tony to come home to him. He had wanted to say that so many times while he was off hunting Ziva, and he started wondering what would have happened if he had. Would Tony have come? Would he have stopped the search right then and there, or would he have needed to clear the air with Ziva first? In the end, he decided that it didn't matter. He was here now, and they had found their way to this place together. He hadn't realized how much he needed Tony around, even back then, but now that they had made it past that, what they were forming together meant so much more than he could have imagined.

Home. Was he ready for that? Ready to share his home with Tony? To share his life with him? He hadn't felt like this in a long time. When Tony hadn't come over the other night, he couldn't stand the silent house. When had it really started becoming a home again? He'd meant what he said to Tony, that he had been lonely too, but it was so much more than that. Tony made things feel more alive for him, more real. Life was being lived, not just slipping away, and he was happy.

Happy scared him. Happy was always taken away from him. Happy became angry, and together became alone, and he didn't know what would happen if that happened with him and Tony. They worked together. They were around each other all the time. Would they be able to do that and stay happy?

_Been working together for thirteen years now. Been around each other non-stop for three months now, and I only want more. He only wants more. He was gone for three hours and he was texting me to see if he could come back, to see if he could come home. _

He thought about the way Tony's voice sounded after he had told him to come home. It had made him ache inside. He wanted to fill Tony with so much love that all of that doubt, all of that emptiness that had been amplified by everyone who had ever fallen short in his life, was completely forgotten about. He wanted to fix it so that Tony never doubted that he was loved and wanted ever again.

He heard the front door open, and then Tony's bag dropped down by the couch. He came into the kitchen, and Gibbs smiled brightly when he saw how happy Tony was, and just how right he looked in his house.

"Hey," he said.

Tony saw the bright eyes and relieved smile on Gibbs' face as he walked into the kitchen with the casserole dish. He sat it on the counter and leaned in, trapping Gibbs against the formica, and kissed him deeply. Gibbs managed to sit his coffee down and put his arms around Tony's waist, pulling him close to him. Both men sighed into the kiss.

When Tony finally pulled away, he smiled shyly at the dazed look on Gibbs' face, which made Gibbs want to ravage him right there in the kitchen. He knew that as soon as he did though, Abby or someone would show up and catch them in the act. He sighed and smiled at Tony and tried to calm the storm of butterflies in his stomach. He couldn't believe how relieved he felt to simply have Tony near him again after only a few hours.

"I see you haven't gotten around to the table yet," Tony commented, trying to take the focus off of them. "Need a hand?"

"Sure." Gibbs ran downstairs and got the wooden leaf, and the two men worked on pulling the table apart. Gibbs slid the leaf in place, and they pushed the sides together again. Tony grabbed a rag from the kitchen and wiped down the entire top. Standing back afterward, they nodded in approval, and moved to the kitchen to start preparing the dishes they were responsible for.

"I'm actually really looking forward to having just the inner circle together, you know? Just the five of us. No Ellie or Delilah, no Palmer and Breena… not that I don't like them, because I do, it just feels more intimate." Tony said as he peeled a potato.

"Me, too," Gibbs said, smiling at Tony. "Been a while since it's just been us."

Tony nodded. "Too long. It's hard to get everyone in one place long enough to do anything other than have a beer, and even that is harder and harder these days. Still can't get used to Tim having a long term girlfriend…" Tony said, suddenly staring off into space with a confused look on his face. When Gibbs looked up and saw how perplexed he looked, he chuckled.

"Not like hell's freezing over. He's a good kid."

Tony nodded in agreement as he went back to shaving the potato. "Yeah, but they actually, ya know, fit. Kinda scary to think there might be a couple little McGees running around one day with tablets and cell phones. They'll probably know more about hacking than me by time they're three years old. I can see it now. We'll come in and Tim will tell us some ridiculously proud tale of how Timmy Junior was able to hack into the Disney Channel website while learning to potty train or something."

Tony didn't flinch at the lighter than usual headslap he was given, but kept peeling the potatoes.

"Seriously, though Jethro. I don't know if I can make it through tales of potty training in the car on the way to a scene."

"Are they talking about that kinda stuff yet?" Gibbs asked.

"Nah, I don't think so. Just getting prepared. It's going to be hard enough to hear Palmer's stories."

Gibbs' head went back as he realized what it was going to be like to have Palmer's rambling including stories of raising his child now. He groaned at the thought, and Tony turned to look at him.

"Yeah, bet you hadn't thought of that yet, did you?"

"It's hard enough watching whatever is going on between him and Ducky as they try to go through this process. That's going to…"

"Suck?" Tony asked.

"Pretty much."

The front door opened and Abby came in carrying two large canvas bags full of stuff. Gibbs rushed in to help her with it all, and that's when Tony realized he had left his duffel by the front door. After he greeted Abby, while Gibbs helped her get her stuff situated, he excused himself to the bathroom, grabbing the duffel as discreetly as possible before rushing upstairs before Abby could realize it was there. He'd hoped the bounty she was carrying in had helped distract her.

He tossed it into Gibbs' bedroom, and then actually took the time to hit the head before coming back downstairs. By then, Abby had her green bean casserole ready to go in the oven, and Tony realized that Gibbs still hadn't stopped smiling. That made him smile, and Abby turned back from the oven with a smile of her own. The happiness that buzzed around them felt incredible.

Tony went back to work on the potatoes, and he, Abby and Gibbs joked around, throwing things to one another as they prepared the feast. Tim came in, and Tony moved over on the small counter to make space so that he could prepare a dish of yams. Delilah was with family out of town, and they had both decided to wait until Christmas for him to meet everyone. They talked about that for a few minutes while they worked on dinner, and Gibbs and Tony shared a knowing look.

The meal came together quickly, and Ducky joined them soon with dips, bread, and cheese. They nibbled while things cooked and sat around the table together talking. They took turns excusing themselves to take things out of the oven and put other dishes in. Tony and Gibbs were both joking, talking and telling stories brightly, and everyone around them noticed that they were both in surprisingly good moods.

Gibbs got up to change out something in the oven, and he hollered into the kitchen to see who had the oven mitts. Tony looked at the table in front of him, and realized he had brought them in with him.

"I have 'em. Sorry!" he shouted back. Gibbs came in and took them from the table, then used it to hit Tony in the back of the head. Tony smiled at Gibbs, and he smiled back. Tony considered how good it felt to joke around and be happy with everyone like that, but especially with Gibbs. It felt right in ways he'd never accepted, and some more of that hollow space inside of him seemed to be filling.

"Turkey's ready!" Gibbs shouted from the kitchen, and soon everyone was bringing their dishes of food into the dining room. Ten minutes later, rejoined around the table, Abby asked if they could go around the table saying what they're thankful for. They all nodded, and Gibbs invited her to start.

"Well, I'm thankful for another year of doing what I love with the people I love, for Major Mass Spec holding on for us, for the safety of everyone in this room, and for our little family." Everyone smiled at her, and then Ducky spoke.

"I too am grateful for the health safety of everyone in our care, for the lessons this year has taught me and continues to teach me, and for the chance to share this meal together."

Tim nodded in agreement. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to meet Delilah this year, and for the health and safety of both my biological and work families. That my dad is still with us, and that _we've_ made it through a crazy year together."

Gibbs nodded, and then it was his turn. He had so much he wanted to say, but he wasn't really able to. _Maybe next year,_ he thought. "I'm grateful for each person in this room and what we've accomplished together this year. Been a hell of a year, and there's no one else I'd rather have gone through it with."

He made sure to make eye contact with everyone, and then settled on Tony.

"I'm thankful for closure, for new beginnings, and for being home." Tony looked around the room, but his eyes settled on Gibbs' for a long moment, a smile on his face that Gibbs returned.

They enjoyed their turkey and array of sides together, and the laughter continued. Tales of Thanksgivings gone atrociously wrong gave way to discussions of disastrous family dinners for various occasions, and those inspired a discussion about what everyone was doing for Christmas. Abby said she was going to spend it with her brother, and Ducky had been invited to spend it with Palmer and Breena. Tim was actually looking forward to meeting Delilah's family, and Tony was taken by surprise when Gibbs invited him to spend it with him and Jack in front of the group. He accepted without hesitation though.

Ducky had been trying to piece together the oddity of both of his friends' moods over the past month. He had been concerned about Tony after his bout of sleep deprivation, and he was spying on him while he worked in the bullpen to get an idea of how he was doing, since he knew Tony wasn't about to come tell him himself.

What he had seen was a constant exchange of secret glances with Gibbs, and stolen moments where the two would be talking rather closely with each other, leaning in and whispering much more than necessary. Tony may not have been noticing those little changes between them, but to Ducky, who desperately wanted both men to be happy, those little things were adding up to paint a picture he had no idea was even a possibility. He paid close attention to the two of them that night as they talked, laughed and ate, and what he saw had him delighted.

The group began packing things away, and Tony couldn't stop yawning. Gibbs looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and Tony shrugged. "Tryptophan. I can feel a turkey coma coming on."

Gibbs chuckled and turned Tony around, pushing him through the doorway of the kitchen and towards the living room. "Go sit down before you fall over into the mashed potatoes. I got this," he said as he shook his head and smiled brightly to himself.

Abby yawned too, and Gibbs rolled his eyes, his smile still plastered on his face. "Go ahead, Abs. I'll take care of it."

"I think I might just go home, otherwise I'll end up sleeping here tonight, and I have breakfast plans with Sister Rosita in the morning."

"Okay," he said, reaching forward to kiss her on the cheek. "Drive safely." She squeezed him in a hug, not letting go at first as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Okay! I'm going!" she suddenly said, springing up from her position in his embrace.

"I think I'm heading out, too," McGee said. "It's been great, but tomorrow comes early, and we're going to have to fight the crazy traffic."

"It's been good having you all here," Gibbs said, walking them out to the door. They all stopped in the living room and started snickering and whispering about Tony snoring on the couch. Ducky stood in the kitchen, sipping tea as he watched the scene unfold. He smiled to himself, and when Gibbs joined him in the kitchen a minute later, he leaned back against the counter and spoke softly.

"It appears you and Anthony have grown much closer since Ziva's departure," he stated simply. Gibbs froze, looking at him to try and decipher how much he had figured out.

"We have," he, too, stated simply.

"I am happy for you both. I think this is one of the happiest surprises of my long life."

Gibbs nodded, knowing that they were busted. "Mine, too," he said as his eyes looked through the two archways to watch Tony sleep on the couch. "Didn't see it coming, Duck. Blindsided both of us I think. We…" he shook his head as he thought, his eyes still on Tony's form. "We make so much sense. I don't know how we didn't see it before."

"I don't need to tell you how important this is to keep quiet, but I feel I do need to tell you that you're not going to be able to keep it a secret long with how you acted around one another today. It is fairly obvious that you are both happily in love with each other."

Gibbs finally stopped looking at Tony, and his eyes widened as he looked at his friend in surprise, blinking rapidly, his face in an almost frightened shock.

"My dear Jethro, you have told him that's what you're feeling, haven't you? It is plain as day to anyone who isn't blinded by a decade of previous knowledge of the two of you. The only reason that Abby and Timothy didn't realize it tonight is that they are so used to the former status of your relationship. Give it another week or two, and they will see it as well, at least if you keep acting this way around one another, and I hope you do. You both deserve this kind of happiness, my friend."

Gibbs returned his stare to Tony. Love. Home. Family. They were the things that he'd been missing in his life, and Tony gave him all of them.

Ducky set his mug in the sink and turned to leave, squeezing Gibbs' shoulder on the way by. "Tell him, Jethro," he said quietly as he left him standing alone in the kitchen.

Gibbs heard the front door shut, and he was snapped out of his trance. He moved into living room, taking in Tony's sleeping body, and then went to lock the front door. He came back, turned off the lamp, and sat on the coffee table next to the couch, looking down at Tony in the light from the fireplace. He ran his fingers through Tony's hair, and smiled as his sleeping lover's head naturally nuzzled against his hand.

He bent forward and kissed Tony's lips gently. Tony shuffled in his sleep, and then began waking up into the kiss. Gibbs licked Tony's lips in a tease, and Tony's head came up off the armrest to try to capture it. Gibbs sat up, smiling down at Tony, whose eyes finally fluttered open.

"The bed would be a lot more comfortable," he said with a sly smile.

"You're just trying to get me naked," Tony said as he stretched with a bright smile of his own.

"Oh, no doubt. All the more reason for you to come upstairs with me."

"Mmmm…" Tony moaned. "Yes it is, then again, the fire is still burning, and we don't have to be upstairs to be naked."

Gibbs licked his lips, and reached a hand out to run down Tony's leg. Tony smiled that shy smile that had Gibbs aching for him, and sat up, patting the spot on the couch next to him. Gibbs moved from the coffee table to the couch and before he could sit down, Tony had his hand on the waistband of his jeans, pulling him over to stand in front of him.

Tony's eyes looked up at the ones looking down at him as he unbuttoned Gibbs' jeans. Gibbs moaned, and Tony let his hands run down his legs with the pants and boxers, then let them trail back, pushing Gibbs' sweatshirt up to nibble on his stomach.

Gibbs reached down and pulled the sweatshirt up and over his head, giving Tony easy access to let his hands roam over his body. He ran his fingers through Tony's hair, enjoying the way Tony investigated him. There were kisses along his waist, handprints being made in the sweat forming down his back, and then teeth marks on his stomach. He groaned loudly. He loved when Tony used his teeth, and loved even more than Tony begged to be bitten.

His mouth left Gibbs' stomach though, and with that shy smile and pleading eyes, he began teasing Gibbs' cock. At first he tentatively licked around the edge of the head, and then ran his tongue gently down the side of the shaft.

Gibbs closed his eyes to get lost in the tender teases, but they suddenly shot open and rolled back into his head when Tony took one of his balls in his mouth. Tony released it after fondling it with his tongue for a long minute, and then swallowed Gibbs' entire length in one smooth motion, causing a deep moan from the man above him. He worked over the hard cock, making sure to pull back and let his tongue sweep across the slit, tasting him from time to time.

After a couple of minutes, Gibbs pulled his head off of him, holding him by the hair as he bent down to kiss Tony deeply. Tony's tongue slid over his, feeling the want and the need in the kiss. Gibbs sat on the couch next to him, kissing him and unbuttoning his shirt. He wanted Tony naked, and _now_. Once the shirt was off, he began kissing down Tony's neck, nibbling on his collarbone in the way he had learned Tony liked. His fingers tried to unbuckled Tony's belt, and after a moment, he had it and the button of Tony's jeans taken care of. Tony's erection was straining against the zipper, so he didn't chance bringing it down considering the angle they sitting.

He pulled back and whispered to Tony. "Stand up."

Tony did as he was told, and Gibbs' fingers went immediately for the zipper, removing Tony's pants. He then let his hands trail up Tony's stomach for a moment before resting on Tony's hips, and pulling him towards him. Tony moved with the motion, and straddled Gibbs' thighs.

Gibbs was entranced by the way the orange light from the flames licked off of the sweat running down Tony's body. He leaned forward, running his tongue up Tony's neck, tasting it. It caused such an erotic moan to escape Tony, that he knew he would never be able to spar with him in the gym again without thinking about the way it tasted and what it did to Tony when he lapped at him.

Their lips met again and they kissed, Tony's tongue searching for the taste on his lips.

"I think you'd have a better angle if you turned around," Gibbs said between kisses, and Tony nodded before getting up and turning. He slowly lowered himself onto Gibbs' lap again, this time, right on to the cock waiting for him. Gibbs guided himself into Tony, his eyes barely able to stay open as he felt Tony take him in. Tony moaned, and then pushed himself down on the last two inches so that he was sitting in Gibbs' lap.

He leaned back, and Gibbs' mouth went to his ear. "You feel so fucking incredible. So incredible…"

Tony let his head nuzzle Gibbs' for a minute, the side of it leaning back against the side of his lover's. He then leaned forward, and began a rocking motion that made both of them groan in pleasure. He started a slow bounce, but facing away left him without something to hold on to, and it was hard to find a rhythm.

Gibbs finally sat forward, shifting so that Tony could bend forward and push off the coffee table. He loved watching Tony bent over for him. He ran his hands up Tony's strong back, and let his nails dig in just a little as they trailed down. Tony started pushing backwards in quick, hard jerks, and Gibbs bucked his hips, thrusting back. It still wasn't enough. He slid his hands around Tony's waist and then stood up. Tony was bent forward, grabbing the coffee table for support, and thrusting back as Gibbs fucked him earnestly.

The sweat rolled off of them both as the fire in front of them made their bodies glisten. Tony's voice filled the air, begging for more, asking for it harder and faster. Gibbs complied, loving the way that voice sounded asking him for release. He pulled Tony up into a standing position, continuing to thrust in and out of him, and reached his hand around for Tony's cock, pumping it in his fist immediately.

"Come for me, Tony. Come with me. Come on." His voice crackled in Tony's ear like the fire spitting through the wood in front of them, and Tony thrust back against him. As soon as Tony's body tensed and jerked, Gibbs let go, filling him. He could barely hear Tony whispering, "Fuck yeah," before he dropped back onto the couch, pulling them both down.

Gibbs woke up a little while later as Tony pushed him over onto the armrest. Tony had gotten up for a wet towel, and had cleaned them up. Now he was moving to lay down with Gibbs on the couch. Gibbs went willingly, his head landing on the pillow Tony had fetched from under the end table. Tony laid across him, resting his head on Gibbs chest, tucking the blanket around them.

Gibbs ran his fingers through Tony's hair, the fire still going strong enough to reflect off of it. Tony smiled. It was a tender gesture, and he reveled in it.

"I think I'm falling in love with you, Jethro," Tony whispered.

Gibbs smiled and bent to kiss Tony's head. "Go ahead. I'll catch you. Already there," he whispered back dozily.

Tony felt like he could burst. The hollow, empty place within him that he was afraid no one would ever care enough to fill was overflowing, stuffed and bursting at the seams. He'd never felt so wanted in his life, so cared for. He reached for Gibbs' hand and threaded his fingers through them. When Gibbs raised them to his lips before setting it against his chest, Tony smiled.

"Hey, Jethro?" Tony whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

"For what?" Gibbs asked quietly, letting his free hand continue stroking Tony's hair.

"For caring about me."

"That's what you do when you love someone," Gibbs whispered, his heart aching for the man in his arms. "And I love you, Tony."

Tony smiled and snuggled down against Gibbs. "I love you, too, Jethro."

After a long few minutes in silence, Gibbs whispered, "You're what I'm thankful for, Tony. Thanks for coming home to me."

"You _are_ my home, Jethro. Nowhere else I'd rather be."


End file.
